The drama by Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky “Thunderstorm” was written during major reform changes in Russia and was published in 1859. As in any literary work, the meaning of the title of the play “Thunderstorm” embodies the theme and idea of the whole work. Therefore, it requires detailed consideration and analysis.
What is a play?
Before proceeding to answer the question, what is the meaning of the title of the play “Thunderstorm”, it is necessary to define the genre of this work. So, the play is a literary work intended for staging on stage. Distinctive features of this kind of literature will be:
- The construction of the entire plot on the dialogues and monologues of heroes.
- Subdivision into parts called acts or actions and scenes.
- Remarks by the author describing the decor and costumes of the characters. As well as the actions of the heroes.
The peculiarity of the drama "Thunderstorm"
The meaning of the title of the play “Thunderstorm” by A. N. Ostrovsky’s play is directly related to the genre originality of the work. The fact is that literary scholars still cannot come to an agreement on what the “Thunderstorm” is - a drama or tragedy.
The tragedy of the play is associated with the image of Katerina, which is opposed to all other characters. The girl is very different from the people around her, she is a bright and dreamy person. Its conflict with the world is predetermined in advance, ruthless and dark - it can only destroy and destroy.
The dramatic side of the play is manifested in the social aspect - each hero has his own social position, which determines his actions and character. Thus, to put an end to and assign the play to one of the genres is not possible.
Play conflict
Before determining the meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm", it is necessary to understand the main conflict of this work.
To begin with, there is more than one conflict in the drama, but several. And the first one that the critic has always paid attention to is social. From this point of view, Katerina appears to be the embodiment of a people who are outraged and can no longer bear the tyranny and tyranny of those in power, whose representative is Kabanikh. Another conflict, also related to the confrontation between Kabanikhi and Katerina, is the generational conflict.
But the main and most important confrontation in the play is Katerina’s struggle with herself. The internal conflict is much deeper than the external and carries the deepest meaning. The girl is struggling with forbidden love. Unable to play the hypocrite, she is under attack by the public. And in the end, she had no choice but to commit suicide.
The image of Katerina
The meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm" is directly related to the image of the main character. Katerina became an unusual female character for Ostrovsky. Against the background of the previous heroines of the writer, she stands out for her strength of mind, subtle outlook, integrity of personality. She is a poetic and dreamy nature with a bright soul and high aspirations. The description of a happy life for her looks like this: embroidery, visiting a temple and prayers, talking with mantis and wonderful dreams about golden temples and wonderful gardens. By this, the writer emphasizes that for Katerina, spiritual values are higher than material ones.
The image of the girl is closely intertwined with the image of the bird and the motive of flight. Katerina’s desire to fly introduces the subject of confinement and bondage into the story. And with them the theme of death, because the soul can be freed and take off, only having lost its bodily shell.
Katerina has a strong character, her sense of dignity is very great. It is very difficult for her to live under the same roof with the Boar. After all, there prevails reproaches, despotism and tyranny on the part of the mistress, as well as stupidity, spinelessness and humility of the other inhabitants.
The longing that encompasses Katerina in the house of Martha Ignatievna is mixed with the desire of the girl to know true love. To Tikhon, the heroine cannot experience this feeling, since he is weak-witted, stupid, spiritually poor. Katerina can fall in love only with a person of dignity, kindness, different from others. And the girl thinks that she finds one in Boris Grigorievich. It is from the moment the meetings with the young man begin that the heroine’s internal conflict begins. She is torn between her feelings and duty to her husband.
But Katerina is deceived, Boris is an ordinary person who is not able to dare to save the girl. Katerina, realizing that she can not forgive herself and continue to live in the darkness surrounding her, decides to commit suicide. It is with this episode that the meaning of the title of the play by Ostrovsky “The Storm” is connected, which we will consider in more detail and in detail below.
The meaning of the name of the play
The title of the drama has a huge meaning. For the first time this word is uttered by Tikhon when, before leaving, he says goodbye to his wife. The hero compares Kabanihu with an overcoming thunderstorm and rejoices that he will get rid of her attacks for at least a short time. Thus, answering the question, what is the symbolic meaning of the title of the play “Thunderstorm”, we can say that this natural phenomenon represents fear. This fear can be caused both by the tyranny of others and by higher forces. And this feeling covers all the heroes of the work. Even Katerina is subject to him, as she fears the highest punishment for her betrayal to her husband. Death does not even scare a girl like a possible punishment for sins.
The whole development of the actions in the play is similar to the pre-storm time, which will certainly end in a storm. It is in the fear, which grows as the elements approach, that is the meaning of the title of the play “Thunderstorm”. It is better to supplement the composition with descriptions of those scenes in the play where the characters most clearly show fear.
Conclusion
The work was accepted by critics with great enthusiasm and had many interpretations of conflicts, the main theme and image of Katerina. Also, a symbolic mystery was the meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm". The composition provided by the school curriculum once again confirms that interest in this controversial creation by Ostrovsky has still not weakened.